Appointment of SC doc triggers AIIMS caste row

Controversy surrounding the appointment of a Scheduled Caste candidate as senior resident on ad hoc basis at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) has bared the caste fault lines there.

Dr Reeta Mahey was appointed senior resident at the department of obstetrics and gynaecology on March 14 after the intervention of the National Commission for Scheduled Castes (NCSC).

But the appointment was questioned by department head Dr Suneeta Mittal.

Mittal had written to the institute’s registrar questioning the commission’s role in the matter. She said there was no vacancy in the department and claimed that an inquiry for alleged misconduct was pending against Mahey.

While ordering Mahey’s appointment, the NCSC criticised AIIMS for violating the reservation policy. Though a reserved category post for a senior resident was vacated in May last year, the institute did not mention it in an advertisement published in June 2008.

“If the AIIMS authorities had advertised the post as per rules and followed the reservation rules, the petitioner (Mahey) would have been selected on the Scheduled Caste point and would have joined in August,” the commission observed after a meeting in which Mittal was also present.

The minutes of the meeting noted that Mittal had raised many “ irrelevant” questions, held “anti-reservation feelings” and was trying to misguide the commission.

Dr Suneel Chumber, subdean (academics) of AIIMS, said the issue had caused resentment among the faculty.

“We don’t want anybody to tarnish the reputation of AIIMS. Mahey will be retained. After all, the panel is a constitutional body,” he said.

Sources said the health ministry had also sought information from AIIMS about the appointment and was checking with the Election Commission if it had violated the model code of conduct.

Ministry officials also wondered why only Mahey’s appointment was being questioned when there were eight ad hoc appointments.

“There was a query from the ministry and we have replied. We are part of the essential services and don’t need the Election Commission’s nod for ad hoc appointments,” said Chumber. He said the allegations of misconduct against Mahey were not found to be true by the AIIMS registrar.

Officials of the AIIMS Faculty Association said Mahey’s appointment was “illegal” as no reserved post was vacant in the department and even if there was, there had to be an advertisement for it.

The appointment of senior residents at the department has been facing trouble for some time now. There were allegations of irregularities in the examination for the appointments.

Faculty Dr Alka Kriplani alleged in a letter that Mittal had received official intimation regarding the examination for selection of senior residents — for which Mittal’s daughter was a candidate — while she was on leave and Kriplani was the acting head of department.

On the basis of that letter, she had allegedly decided the names of faculty who would set the examination paper.